The Ones Who Heard
by LittleMissEighty-Sixed
Summary: When a crop is ill - the farmer must nourish it. When a crop is dying - the farmer must replant it. Tom decided to uproot his people and plant them once again where the soil has been prepared. His four loyal lieutenants, each holding control over one of the elements, went and conquered the Earth for their Dark Lord. But even Tom could not predict betrayal in such high ranks.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue - Venenum Planetae

 _ **Dedicated to LittleChmura and Ruin-Me-Dramione (Salazars)**_

His planet was poisoned.

His planet was dying.

He was at fault.

He knew that.

Black liquid pooled at the man's feet. Proof of the heinous deed he had just committed. It was not only a crime to his people, no, he didn't much care for that. What worried him was that this was a crime against nature. Nature was the very thing that granted people like him what he desired. Dropping to his knees, he dipped his fingers in the liquid; a wet slosh sound emanated back as he prodded at the substance. It was thick and sticky, each drop coating his fingers. Bringing his hand up to his face, he swiped the tar-like substance down his cheeks creating swirls with his fingers to match his own permanent warpaint.

Muffled footsteps echoed in the man's ear. Slowly rising to his feet, he kept his eyes panned down, where the body of the old woman lay.

"You called for me, General Riddle?" The raspy voice of the blond made his ear itch. An itch that couldn't be scratched.

Wiping the rest of the black residue on his jacket, he turned to his commander, A glint of fear shon in the man's eye as he looked down at the body - a mistake. Quickly, the man collected himself; he looked to his General, an unsettling smile quirked at the corner of his lips.

"Lucius, Please. Let us drop the formalities shall we?" a strict, brisk nod followed.

Dark eyes met grey, and the general motioned with his hand down to the body of the woman, letting out a humorless laugh.

"As you can see… I have run into bit of a predicament. It seems Ms. Hepzibah couldn't deliver what I was promised." An eerie silence filled the air as the weight of the situation became more and more evident to the man.

"Tom… What have you done?" A strangled noise threatened to escape, but Lucius forced it back down his throat. "Do you not understand these things have consequences? You killed her!"

A deadly look washed over Tom's face; venomous and deadly.

"I may have said to forget formalities here, Lucius, but do not forget why it is I am in charge." Hissing through his teeth, he gripped the collar of the man's jacket, leering at him through hooded eyes. "I know fully well that these things have consequences. Look at the ground at which she lays." Releasing his hold, Tom took a step away, looking down at the now indistinguishable black covered corpse.

"What have you done? What is that?" The liquid surrounding the body began to move, dripping off the body in waves; it drenched the ground. Sinking deep within it, the change began. The patch of grass that lay beneath what used to be Hepzibah Smith was dark and brittle - it was dying.

"You know what it is. You know the story. It will take years for the poison to take effect. Plenty of time to find another host planet." There was silence again. Wiping the bottom of his feet on the grass he relished in the silence. The fear.

"You have killed us all, you know that? You have killed our world, Tom! There is no coming back from this! How cou-" A pained gasp came from Lucius as he clutched at his throat, fighting for air. Meeting Tom's gaze, he knew then that Hepzibah hadn't been completely useless. Blood flowed from his nostrils as he kept his left hand clenched in a tight fist, strangling the life out of Lucius without even touching him.

Relinquishing his grip, the gasping man fell to his knees, struggling to inhale as much air as he could. The burn in his lungs was a lasting reminder not to mess with Tom, no matter what. Circling around the two bodies, General Riddle kept his eyes panned on his commander. Pathetic he thought. Straightening his now crumpled overcoat, Lucius stood, erecting himself to his full height.

"What would you like me to do, Tom? How do you expect to keep this a secret? She was a part of the Elders." A voice that once started out strong began to wane. His lungs and throat burned, but he refused to let his eyes betray that.

"I want you to bring me Commanders Nott, Parkinson, Karkaroff, and Rosier. Do so quickly and quietly." Enunciating the last word, Tom took one last look at the body of the elderly woman before he waved his hand in front of her; she was gone.

Stumbling backwards and landing on his hands, Commander Malfoy looked on with wide eyes. His people were gifted, he knew that. Each one given an affinity as a gift from their planet. This, however, was not an affinity, no this was much darker.

"I-I thought you said she didn't give you what she promised?" Flexing his hand back and forth, Tom feigned innocence.

"Oh, what? This? Oh, it was just something I picked up…" Flashing a murderous smile, he made his way towards the hill that overlooked their city. He could see his people below carefree, unknowing of what was to come.

"Oh, and Lucius?" Making sure to keep his back to the man as he inhaled deeply through his nose that he hadn't bothered to wipe the blood from, he let the moment simmer.

"Do tell them not to be late…We have much to do…Do you understand?" Opening his mouth to respond Lucius watched as Tom brushed his coat back and made his way down the hill, leaving only himself alone with his thoughts and the indentation of where a certain elder's body once lay.

 **A/N: Hello lovelies! I know I have no business in starting a new fic but this has been bugging me for a while and I really wanted to start it! This is a Creature!Draco fic... Well an Alien!Draco fic with the pairings of DM/HG BZ/GW and surprise pairings for Pansy and Theo. :) This is an AU (obviously) and therefore you can just forget about everything that happened in the books/films. I will be drawing on things from there (If you can't tell already 3 ) but this will be VERY different from most things you have read probably. I know this was super short but that was just because I don't want to give too much away. :) If you liked this and would like to see more I would love to see some reviews! Make sure to turn on follow if you would like to keep up with this story! I am working on the first chapter as we speak. Thanks for reading and I hope you stick around!**

 *****Also, check out my tumblr or LittleChmura's and see the drawing she did of Draco for me! Ahhhhh he is so beautiful!*****


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I **do not** own Harry Potter or any of these characters (Sadly). It is still owned by J.K. Rowling

 **All of my love and thanks to my beta's MrBenzedrine and Ruin-Me-Dramione, without you both I would still be staring at a blank screen on my laptop :)**

 **This Chappy is dedicated to QueenVulca who was following this story when it was still just an idea.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter One - Unexpected Consequences

 ** _Morsmordre, Borgin Galaxy._**

 ** _Approx. 12.6 billion Kilometers from Earth_**

"Malfoy! Keep your guard up!" Theo's voice roared from Draco's left as he tucked himself into a ball, rolling out of the way of an oncoming fist. A blue streak of light passed over Draco's shoulder, singing the fabric that protected him. The boy that was after Theo disappeared from his line of sight; instead he opted to focus on the opponent that threw the ball of blue fire. Whipping his head around, Draco swiftly retrieved an arrow from his quiver and took aim. A woman stood in front of him, lengthy, unkempt black hair hung in her face. Sweat coated her forehead as her chest rose and fell with laboured breathing. She was tired, and that would be her downfall. Shaking hands pulled the arrow back from its nocking point, and his eyes locked onto hers as he inhaled slowly. _You can do this._

The look of fury burned in her eyes; this was a test for all of them. Failure was _not_ an option. She watched and waited, sending him a taunting gaze that he knew all too well. She wanted him to make the first move. Time seemed to slow down. All of the noise around them became muffled; the edges of his vision blurred, honing in on the lethal beauty. _What is she waiting for?_ Seconds stretched into minutes - no one moved. _Release. Let go,_ his mind commanded, but his fingers refused; the arrow stayed in place, the icy point aimed towards her arm. _Maim, not kill. He wants a show. Not a bloodbath._ _ **Not yet.**_

"Draco!" Theo screamed. Within seconds, he felt a paralyzing pain at his side as he dropped to the ground. Looking down at the once perfectly intact hooded armour that protected him, he grimaced. Pieces of the cloth hung in strands where others were completely missing. Pale blue liquid soaked into the material as it stained his skin. _Blood._ The wound was larger than he had anticipated - it was intentional. _She took the shot_ was all that kept replaying in his mind.

Another scream brought Draco out of his injury-induced haze. This time, it wasn't Theo; it was _her._ Her body was sprawled out, pinned to the ground by the sheer weight of his body. Blood splattered across her cheek from his barred teeth and bleeding gums as he hissed at her. A warning she knew not to take lightly. Another boy came up from behind Draco; his hand, marked with thin, crossed lines resembling thread, gripped him by his shoulders, squeezing him reassuringly. Neither knew what to say. Instead, they just looked on at the seething boy and flailing girl, both struggling for dominance.

"Theo! Let her up, it's over!" The boy looked down at Draco with frightening uncertainty. A silent conversation between them, spoken only through their eyes; _This is getting out of hand_. Draco watched as the boy marched over to the brawling bodies, making sure to retract his weapon of choice: a pair of deadly _claws_ and _brass knuckles_. Theo was screaming something unintelligible into the girl's face. She tried to turn her head, to at least lessen the screaming, to no avail.

The other boy's hands tightened around the back of Theo's hood; with a sharp yank and an audible tearing, he was thrown on his back, cursing at the assault from behind.

"What the _fuck_! Did you not see what she did? She nearly knocked Malfoy's head right off his neck!" Theo spat. He turned away from the girl to look at the boy, Blaise, who extended his hand out to help him up. A look of disgust flashed in Theo's eyes as he smacked the outstretched appendage away bitterly. He struggled to get to his feet as his eyes refused to leave didn't know what to expect from either of them, and he didn't like it.

"It's over, Nott. Give it a rest. You know why she had t-" Before Blaise could finish his sentence, a high pitched shriek emitted from the girl as she withdrew her weapon again- this time, she wasn't waiting. Her legs propelled her forward as she ran towards Draco, who still sat crouched on his knees, clutching his wounded side; without hesitation, he withdrew an arrow and slid it through the bow string. Once it was lined up with the nocking point again, he felt himself disconnect. It was no longer him in control. _It was his warrior_.

While time seemed to have slowed down for him, it was only a matter of seconds before his arrow left his bow and embedded itself in her right hip. The icy tip that lay buried beneath layers of skin began to slowly spread it's hypothermic death through the wound, causing it to numb. Dropping his bow beside him, he allowed the pain to overcome his senses; his surroundings began to blur, noises became muffled. The girl stumbled, causing her advances to slow and stagger, but still she rose. She wasn't done yet.

A devious smirk lined her lips as she pointed her weapon at his chest. "Sorry about this Drakey…" With her index finger flush against the trigger, she watched as he slowly began to piece together what was happening. Her face, a guise, was devoid of emotion. Everything stopped. Blaise realized in that moment his mistake. It wasn't Theo who he should have pulled off; it was _Pansy_.

Blaise shut his eyes and willed his gift to protect the crumpled boy that lay in a bloody heap only a few feet away from him. The ground below them began to shift as roots deep below the planet's surface began to rise, listening to the orders that Blaise was giving to form a protective cocoon around the injured warrior. However, his concentration broke when he felt Theo's weight beside him shift. When he opened his eyes, he barely had time to register what it was that was about to happen before he saw the daggers.

A muffled scream came from Pansy and Theo's direction as he pounced on her. Pressing her back flat against the ground, he brought the daggers up and sliced them through the air, puncturing the fabric of her jacket. His palms dug painfully into the top of the dagger's handle, lifting his body off of her, Theo displaced his weight as he put all the pressure onto his hands, ensuring she couldn't move.

"Now listen here you fuckin' _mangy twatface!_ If you ever try to pull that shit with us again, I _won't_ miss my target. Do you understand?" Theo's voice quaked with anger, his hot breath blowing harshly onto her face caused an unforeseen defence mechanism. A loud grunt from Pansy and a knee to the groin later ,Theo toppled over the side of her, rocking back and forth as he clutched at his assaulted pelvis.

A slow, deliberate clapping noise caused everyone to stop. Blaise, who now stood next to Draco, dropped to his knees to help his comrade to his feet. Yanking the knives out of her jacket's shoulders, Pansy quickly rose to her feet, her posture rigid as she kept her eyes glued to the man who suddenly came into view.

"That's enough," Tom's cold, honeyed voice hung in the air. No one dared to move. Stepping closer to the four warriors, his gaze passed over the three briskly before he narrowed his eyes at Draco. The look of disappointed seared into Draco's mind. Beside Tom stood his father. The muscles in Lucius' neck strained as he fought to keep his face neutral, though he couldn't stop himself from looking down at the oozing wound at his son's side. Locking his eyes on to Draco, he motioned with his eyes, a silent plea asking if he was okay.

Tom's gaze lay elsewhere - for now he was eyeing the champion _in his eyes_. A look of feral hunger consumed his irises. His infamous predatory circling stopped only when he was right behind her; his chest pressed against her back.

"Very good Miss Parkinson… I believe we have made a _fine_ warrior out of you. Perhaps you should be the one leading this group," Tom spoke. His words caused a shiver to run down her spine as his hand rested softly at the small of her back. "I believe you will do great things for me," the finality in his statement caused a shift. The air, while still suffocating, now held promise of something else.

The look of discomfort that Lucius displayed moments before over the wound his son displayed was now plastered on the faces of the three remaining Lieutenants. This was a test they knew they had _failed_. A mistake that would cost them.

"Nott, Malfoy, Zabini. I want you to accompany Miss Parkinson to the Manor. Lucius and I will join you shortly." It wasn't a question- it was a demand. Blaise and Draco straightened their posture as they looked on, a strict nod to let them know they understood. The action received appraisal in the form of a smile that was all teeth. Theo's refusal, his _defiance_ , did not go unnoticed, for when he turned to look at him, he did something that frightened the other three. He did _nothing_. Not a nod nor a smile, not even a remark. Instead, Tom turned to Lucius and whispered something into his ear before turning back to them.

"Don't be late." Without another word, Tom turned away, Lucius following close behind as they began their descent back down to their city, their people, their homes.

"What the fuck was that?" Pansy hissed as she smacked the back of Theo's head.

Theo scoffed before walking in the opposite direction that the General had just gone. "You heard what Tom said - don't be late."

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The wait for Tom and the rest of the commanders to return felt like hours. The Manor, while spacious and light in colour, did nothing for the claustrophobic feeling that seemed to fill all of them. Pansy lay strewn across the furnishings, nervously twirling her hair between her fingers as she waited for any sign of their superiors. Blaise felt the desire to walk the grounds as a means to clear his head; the less time he spent outside, the more uneasy he felt. When left to his own devices, Theo did what Theo did best: sit and shine. His blades that normally reside at his thighs laid idly in his lap as he took to polishing them. Draco just waited, watching the three of them struggle with the inevitable. All of them were restless. They knew something was simmering below the surface, just waiting to boil over.

Doors scraping against marble brought all four of them out of their individual trances. Rising to their feet, they were met by the faces of Tom's highest ranking officers.

Commander Malfoy was the first to speak. "You four, sit. Tom has something he would like to discuss." The face of a concerned father was now replaced by his war mask. The one Tom beat into each and every one of his soldiers. To show feeling was weakness, and weakness will get you killed.

A shuffle of members pushed Tom towards the seated four, shrugging off his overcoat before throwing it towards the unoccupied seat. There was no expression - a look he had mastered - clasping his hands behind his back he took another step closer, testing the distance he could place between them.

"I have a job for you all: a mission of sorts." A pause; not a single sound could be heard. Everyone sat and listened, some too afraid to breathe. "It is imperative to our survival… I have the utmost faith that you four are the ones that can achieve this efficiently and in a _timely manner_." Looks of confusion branded Blaise and Pansy's faces. Theo and Draco remained neutral: something their fathers had instilled in them. "Would you like to hear what it is?"

A low chuckle hummed beside Draco before the volume began to grow. Looking over at Theo he couldn't stop his body from tensing. He knew the consequences Theo would face, not just from Tom, but his father as well.

"Do we even have a bloody choice in the matter?" Keeping his eyes locked on Tom, Theo waited for an answer.

It was Tom's turn to laugh. It was deep and humourless as he closed the distance between the two of them. "You're right. You don't. I just thought you might like to feel important, if even only for a moment, _Theodore._ " An angry red tint burst through Theo's neck and cheek; a funnel of wind began to swell around them, blocking everyone in. He wanted Tom to feel trapped, wanted him to feel helpless, but it wouldn't last.

Imitating the reassuring squeeze Blaise had shown him on the field, Draco dragged Theo away. The instant they made contact, everything seized.

"What is this job you have for us?" Draco spoke, his voice steady and strong.

What looked to be a genuine smile quirked at the edges of the General's mouth. Motioning towards stray pieces of parchment strewn across the room, he let a quiet snicker escape.

"How much do you know about Earth? And more importantly, how much do you know about humans?"

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

 _Earth, The Milky Way (Orion's Arm)_

 _Approx. 12.6 Billion Kilometers from Morsmordre_

 _London, England_

"Hermione, look. The Funfair will be coming to London next week. Do you think we should go?" Luna trailed behind, clutching the flyer in one hand and her shoes in the other.

"I don't know about that. Isn't your father visiting next week? We also have that exam coming up…" Flipping the next page in her book, Hermione kept her nose down, only glancing up every so often to look for the station.

"Yes, but I think he would like it to. He hasn't been to one since Mum passed. I think it's time he go to one again." As the sign for the tube came into view, she tapped the tips of her shoes against Hermiones elbow, redirecting her.

Hermione grimaced as she looked down at the barefoot girl walking on the pavement. "How many times do I have to remind you that walking without shoes is extremely unhygienic? You are quite _literally_ picking up billions of germs as we speak!" Hermione shrieked, watching as Luna stared absently at her before shrugging her shoulders and continuing on her way, still barefoot.

The entrance to The London Underground was in sight; breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione closed her book and slid it into her bag. The thought of curling into bed with a cuppa, finally able to finish annotating her current page of _Infinite Jest,_ brought such an overwhelming warmth to her that she didn't feel the impact of another person hit her. _At first._

Stumbling, she tried to catch herself from falling. Instead, she tumbled forward, landing straight on her bag. Luna looked down at the girl, who only moments before was walking towards the entrance, as she dropped her shoes. The sound of her flats against pavement rang in Hermione's ears. Looking down into her bag, she felt her stomach lurch; her book was _ruined_. Pages torn, cover bent, it was permanently disfigured.

Anger consumed her. Looking towards the perpetrator that was retreating from the scene, she shoved her bag into Luna's arms and ran after him.

"Who do you think you are! You injure someone and just walk away? Without so much as an apology? What the Hell is wrong with you!" Yanking the blond's jacket back, grey eyes met brown. The boy didn't speak; instead, he just looked at her, studying her.

She had her hair pulled back into a low pony tail, two strands of hair framing the sides of her face. Her neck was flushed pink with anger, small fists clenched at her sides. The sound of someone's throat clearing cued him in again. She was still yelling.

"I don't know if you noticed, but you pushed me back there! Not to mention you ruined the book that I was reading." Her chest rose and fell as she tried desperately to catch her breath. "Say something!"

He smiled. She was taken aback by how one small expression could drastically change a person's face. He was handsome. She would give him that.

"I say, you should probably keep your eyes up here." He motioned between them, this time chuckling at her look of shock. "Instead of looking down at your 'ruined' book."

She was fuming. That was all she needed to hear, opening her mouth to respond, but instead she was silenced by the shake of his head and a quiet mmm.

"It's okay, no need. I forgive you." The other boy that was next to him let out a high pitched cackle. Swiping the cigarette from his lips, he slapped the leather clad boy on the back in encouragement.

"Forgive me? Excuse me! You are the one that should be apologizing to me!"

This only caused the laughing boy to squeal in delight. Hermione felt the embarrassment in waves, her anxiety levels rising. These two were making fun of her.

"You're excused." The grey eyed boy quirked an eyebrow at her. The clenched fists at her side began to shake. She was about to explode.

"Come on, Draco, we have to get back. You know how Blaise gets," Theo's laughter had finally died down. Grabbing Draco by the arm, he tugged him away from the now silent girl.

"Maybe next time, Booky." Shooting a wink at her, he turned away. Hermione watched as they both retreated until they disappeared from her view.

Hermione walked back towards Luna, graciously taking her things.

"What kind of a name is Draco, anyway?" Sighing angrily, she grasped her ruined book between her fingers as both girls walked towards the stairs to their ride.

"Draco? Isn't that a constellation? I think me mum used to talk about that one. The stars aren't very bright, but it has five surrounding planets, if I am not mistaken. That makes it pretty unique, I think." Slipping on her shoes, Luna retrieved both of their passes. As the two girls entered The Tube and took their seats, Hermione silently agreed.

"The name seems fitting then for him." Looking out the window at the passing tunnels, she slowly closed her eyes, wishing she was already home. "The not very bright part, that is."

 **A/N: I hope you guys liked this new chapter! I am going to start working on chapter two tomorrow :) Leave me a review and tell me what you think? Thank you to all the lovely people who reviewed last time! It truly does make a writer's muse work overtime! Until next time! -G**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I **still** do not own Harry Potter... I know, shocking. I too am saddened by this news.

 **Dedicated to ALL of my readers currently reading this and all the people who reviewed! Your reviews are what keep me going, so thank you!**

 **Without further ado, chapter two!**

Chapter Two - Gauze and A Smile

 _Little Whinging Forest, England._

 _Earth, 12.6 Billion Kilometers from Morsmordre_

The walk back to base camp was a long and tedious journey. After running into the girl with the ruined book, it took Draco nearly _two hours_ to get both he and Theo back.

"Hey, so what do you think Parkinson and Zabini will think of this place?" Theo asked, flicking his cigarette butt to the ground, making a beeline for the trees that would lead them to the others.

Draco looked towards him. "I think they'll have the same reaction as you." A chuckle played at his lips as he ruffled his hair. "I mean, kissing the ground while simultaneously clutching dirt to your chest all while _crying_ seems like the most rational thought."

Stopping at the treeline, Theo turned and shot him a glare."There is _nothing_ wrong with the way I express myself." Huffing in annoyance, Theo kicked at the ground, sending loose rocks flying in every direction.

"No, no. Of course not, mate. It's completely normal." Walking beside him, Draco patted him on the back reassuringly.

"You got the hots for me or somethin', Malfoy?" Theo shrugged away from his touch, pulling another cigarette from his pack. The black, egg shaped vessel came into view as both of them passed beyond the line of trees. Their trajectory had been _completely_ off; their landing site was forty miles north of where they ended up. They were meant to be somewhere, _anywhere_ near the heart of London, instead they were stuck halfway between London and Sheffield.

As they approached, the smell of a fire filled their noses, burning their lungs as they inhaled the bittersweet scent. Pansy sat beside the fire tending to it, a look of rigid concentration on her face. The sound of metal scraping against metal caused Draco to turn, his body rigid, eyes and ears alert. Before he could ask Pansy what that was, the sound of something sliding replaced the cringe inducing scrap noise. The door to their vessel opened, revealing a soot covered Blaise carrying pieces of metal shrapnel in his arms.

Theo flicked the cigarette he just lit to the ground, rolling the sleeves of his shirt up and promptly cracking his neck; he made his way over to Blaise.

"So, we gonna discuss what the fuck happened back there?" Theo screeched. Reaching his hand out he tossed the metal bits to the ground before pinning Blaise against the side of their ship by his shoulders.

"First of all, late reaction much? Second of all, why did you knock those out of my hand? And third of all, must you _always_ YELL?" pushing back against Theo's arms Blaise tried to wriggle himself out - he didn't budge.

Shaking his head at him in disappointment Theo barked out a laugh, "Oh, right, my apologies. I have no reason to be upset, especially not when you practically _dejected_ Malfoy and I from our seats!"

"It's _ejected_ you fuckwit," Draco remarked with a roll of his eyes.

"Oi, Whose side are you on anyway?" Theo snapped.

"Neither, you're both dickheads," Draco smirked before dusting off the seat on the log beside Pansy, "I don't know why you two don't get along. Especially when you two are a part of the same club," turning towards the fire he held the backs of his hands out to it, warming them.

"Club? Since when am I in a club?" Theo asked.

"Yeah, what club?" Blaise spoke up, Theo's arm now dropped to his side as both the boys turned to Draco.

It was Pansy's turn to roll her eyes, leaning towards the fire she watched as water began to drip off of Draco's fingers, causing the fire to hiss. Swatting his hand away Pansy let the stream of red and orange flames flow from her fingers, rejuvenating the fire.

"Oh brother, not this again," whirling her head around to glare at Draco she let out an exasperated sigh, "It wasn't funny the _first_ few hundred times you told it," an annoyed huff escaped her lips.

Feigning hurt over the hand swatting he had just received he shook the excess water from his fingers before pivoting to the other two with a grin on his face.

"The 40-watt club," Draco beamed, he thought that joke was _golden_ when he heard it over the transmission from Diagon a few years back.

Looks of confusion ghosted over the both of their faces, turning towards each other they look to the other for the answer.

Seconds turned to minutes as they tried to understand what Draco had just said. Pansy, still sitting beside Draco near the fire, grew tired of the silence. Angling her neck to the side she watched as Theo scrunched his face up in thought, the crinkle of his nose and slight snarl of his lip caused a slight laugh from her. _What a sight he was._

"You are just proving this supposed "joke" to be true," pulling her hand back from the fire, she sighed in resignation.

"What do you mean?" both questioned concurrently.

"You two truly are _hopeless_ ," Pansy drawled, swinging her leg over the log she and Draco sat on, she turned her body towards the two boys. "He is saying you two are _imbeciles._ _Stupid. Idiots. Knobheads. Dunces. Simpletons. Cretons. Ignora-"_

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. We aren't the brightest," Theo huffed, glaring at both Draco and Pansy before muttering something unintelligible.

Draco looked towards the three of them before turning towards the fire, contemplating whether or not he should share the warning his father had shared with him before their parting. It was only meant for _him._ He knew that, but the nagging feeling that something was going to happen, something that would affect all of them refused to disappear. Thinking back to the conversation, he watched the flicker of the flames as he let himself be consumed by the memory.

" _How much do you know about Earth? And more importantly how much do you know about humans?" Tom spoke, his voice calm, with the slightest hint of an edge that was undoubtedly aimed at Theo._

 _No one spoke, the look of shock evident on each of the lieutenant's faces. All of the commanders in the room waited, watching as the gravity of Tom's words settled within each of them._

 _Out of the corner of his eye, Draco met his father's gaze. Lucius' eyes were locked on him, a look that Draco was more than familiar flickered across his face -_ _ **Don't do anything stupid.**_ _He understood and with a slight nod Draco redirected his sight back onto Tom; Now sitting across from where Pansy and Theo stood._

" _So I will take that as nothing? Is that it?" the slow enunciation of every word was meant to be mocking, quirking his eyebrow up, he smiled slightly when he noticed Pansy quietly clear her throat._

" _Just what we have heard and seen through the old transmissions we have in the archives, and the few_ _ **new**_ _ones we get from Diagon," she responded._

 _Tom's smirk caused Draco's stomach to knot, watching his General eye his partner with unbridled lust, he internally scoffed. Running his tongue across his lower lip Tom broke his gaze from the raven haired warrioress, nodding slightly in acknowledgment of her answer._

" _You will find that humans are the most_ _ **peculiar**_ _things. Though what I concern myself with is how strong they are. They have the numbers, there is no doubt about that. However, they lack the -" Tom paused, looking between the four of them, making sure they were paying attention. "Discipline, the leadership, that could make them truly_ _ **great**_ _._ _That_ _will be their downfall."_

 _It was Blaise who spoke this time, "Forgive me General… I don't understand. What is it you are asking of us? Our knowledge of Earth and those who live there are_ _ **extremely**_ _limited. Everything we have seen is what everyone else has seen. That is why we speak_ _ **their**_ _native tongue instead of ours isn't it?"_

" _Earth doesn't have a determined language, it has hundreds, thousands even. We know English because their messages and programs had the strongest satellite connection, at least when it came to distance." Draco felt the words leave his mouth before he could comprehend what he had done. Lucius looked towards him, rage flushed his pale cheeks as he felt his clenched fist shake at his side slightly._

" _Now that, is absolutely_ _ **fascinating**_ _Lieutenant Malfoy, how did you come by that piece of information?" Silence filled the parlour room once again, keeping his face void of emotion he opened his mouth to speak, "I know that beca-"_

" _The boy must have overheard me, sir. I was careless in making sure he couldn't hear our-" Lucius paused, struggling to find the right word. "Business." He waited for Tom's response. When none came, he continued. "This is_ _ **my**_ _error, not his. Forgive me, General. I will make sure this_ _ **does not**_ _happen again," turning to Draco he said, "Right?" Draco nodded, swallowing the nerves that collected in his throat painfully. "I intend to take full responsibility for this error and whatever punishment you deem fit," Lucius bowed slightly to Tom, waiting for the inevitable blow that was sure to come._

" _Stand up Lucius," Tom's neutral tone spoke. Standing up straight, hands clasped behind his back Lucius stiffly nodded. "You are_ _ **not**_ _in trouble Lucius. It was an honest mistake, yes?"_

" _Yes My Lo-" closing his mouth, Lucius squeezed his eyes shut. Now_ _ **that**_ _had been a mistake._

" _You seem to be full of honest mistakes today, aren't you_ _ **Commander Malfoy**_ _?" Opening his eyes Draco saw for the first time in his father's eyes genuine_ _ **terror**_ _for the man that stood before them._

" _That's enough Tom," A soft, yet strong voice ordered. Stepping out from the concealed archway the mistress of the house, Narcissa Black, stood beside the General. Her long, a white blonde hair cascading down her back, almost to her hips, shon brilliantly in the dimly lit room. The dress she wore was_ _ **sinful**_ _, a black little number that was equally classy as it was sexy. Her tone and stance were unwavering, she was a goddess, a queen demanding to be heard, Theo couldn't keep his eyes off her._

 _An amused smirk creased at the side of his mouth, the smile not quite reaching his eyes, "Now what is wrong with what I said, Cissa?"_

" _You know exactly what was wrong with it," she spat. She met Draco's eyes, a small smile directed his way was his gift. Draco never failed to be amazed by the woman. She was the only one who dared cross Tom, she was also the only one that would ever be able to get away with it._

 _Grabbing her around the waist, he pulled her down onto his lap. The tulle of her dress obscured much of Draco's view of Tom, he, however could still see the look of disgust on Narcissa's face._

" _You have always had a soft spot for Lucius… Why is that?" the smirk was still there, but the whites of his eyes were consumed in black, jealous rage burning in them._

 _Rolling her eyes Narcissa spoke,"I don't have a 'soft spot' for anyone, Tom. I just happen to have a conscience and a heart. Something you seem to la-" her sarcastic quip was cut off as Tom fisted the back of her hair, pulling her mouth down to his._

 _The sounds emitted from the unwanted kiss were revolting, Pansy and Blaise shuddered, Theo was having a stare down with his father across the room, and Draco watched as his father's face fell. He looked_ _ **broken**_ _. Draco seemed to be the only one to notice this, though. Within a blink of an eye, his hardened expression returned, his mask had been put back on._

 _Narcissa was finally able to break free a moment later. Struggling to get out of his lap, she quickly stood, straightening her dress, before walking back to the archway she had come through._

" _If anyone should need me, I will be in the library. It was lovely to see you all," Scanning the Commanders her eyes fell upon Lucius, a pained look showcased on her face, "Commanders," she nodded once to them. "Lieutenants," she nodded again. Looking to Draco one more time she gave him another sad smile._

 _She looked_ _ **broken**_ _too, Draco thought._

" _I have a very important task for you four specifically," sliding his finger across his bottom lip Tom's eyes flicked over each of them._

" _What is it, General?" Blaise's voice echoed in the now silent room. Commander's Avery and Rowle snickered, waiting for Tom to respond._

" _I want you four to go to Earth. When there, you will await instructions on what to do. All you_ _ **need**_ _to know for now is that I am not asking you to do this. I am_ _ **telling**_ _you," Blaise visibly paled, he had a fear of space travel, ever since they went to the Diagon Docking Station when he was a fourth year cadet._

" _You_ _ **must**_ _be joking," Theo remarked._

 _Tom turned, narrowing his eyes at him, "I can assure you, I most certainly_ _ **am not**_ _, Theodore,"_

 _Growling at the use of his name Theo moved closer to Draco hissing under his breath "Eees aa haas say pthey tallow theetch kee a! Lassto seea pyeast sha way peast sha ee yes shipaas eeyes shay!"_ _ **Fuck him and his stupid fucking plan! Are you really listening to him?**_

 _The sound of their mother tongue leaving Theo's lips caused a chill to run down Draco's spine. Sneaking a look towards Theo Draco gripped his forearm, squeezing it in warning. "Don't cause any_ _ **more**_ _of a scene than you already have,_ _ **control yourself**_ _," Draco growled under his breath._

" _Lieutenant Malfoy."_

 _Releasing Theo's arm, Draco looked up to see his father now standing beside Tom, an intricate chest laying in his arms, "Yes, General?"_

" _You and Lieutenant Parkinson will be leading this little_ _ **expedition**_ _of ours - though I have a very_ _ **special**_ _job for you," placing the chest on the smooth stone surface of his desk he pushed it forward, towards Draco._

 _Nodding slightly Draco pulled it towards him, gliding his fingers across the intricately designed box he gently flipped the latch up. Carefully opening the lid of the chest he peered down into it. Sitting there on a blue cushioned surface were a dozen pocket sized crown shaped crystals. Looking up, meeting Tom's gaze Draco quirked his eyebrow questioningly._

 _As if knowing what he was going to ask, "They are crystallized diadems," Tom breathed an annoyed sigh._

" _Diadem? Like, a crown?"_

 _Placing his hands on either side of the chair he sat in, he pushed himself up out of the chair. The sound of heavy boots scuffing the marble floor rang in his ears; coming up behind him Tom bent down to whisper in his ear, "I want you, to take_ _ **these**_ _miniscule crystals and place them where they belong…" his voice dropped an octave as he gripped the back of Draco's shoulders. "Whether that be planted in the ground, tossed into the oceans, thrown into a fiery inferno, or shot into an air funnel. These_ _ **will**_ _be placed and ready to be activated when I say it is time. Do you understand?"_

 _Without sparing him a glance Draco nodded stiffly, just as his father had done moments prior. Closing the lid once more he placed the chest in the crook of his arm before pulling Theo with him over to Pansy and Blaise._

 _Standing next to Pansy and Theo did little to bring Draco ease, he could tell whatever this mission was, it wasn't going to_ _ **end**_ _well. The sound of Theo whispering in his native tongue again made Draco's skin crawl, Commander Nott would beat it out of him had he heard it. Before Draco could say anything, Tom came into view once more. The feel of sharp nails digging into his forearm nearly caused Draco to jump as he looked down to see Pansy's hand wound tightly around him, her nails practically drawing blood. The silver liquid pooled slightly at the wound site, if she noticed the blood she did not let it on, her grip was unwavering._

" _Now," popping the collar of his jacket up Tom motioned for Lucius and Commander Avery to step forward, one on either side of him, "This is what I want you to do."_

The sound of arguing brought Draco out of his memory, Theo and Blaise were back at each other's throats. Pansy glared at him, waiting for him to do something, anything, to break up the fight. Sighing in defeat, Draco grumbled under his breath, "Why must I _always_ be the one to break up a fight between those stupid fuckers?"

Pansy snickered, "Because you're _always_ Captain, thanks to daddy of course," her voice was light as she spoke, yet her eyes betrayed the bitterness behind them.

"Please, this has nothing to do with my father. As far as being made Captain _everytime_? Are you truly that blind that you don't see _why_ he does that? He does that so if there is _any_ fuck up I'll have to take the blame! No matter whose fault it is," gritting his teeth he stood up, staring down into her dark eyes.

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" squinting her eyes at him, the thick black line that ran over her cheeks and nose crinkled.

"What I am saying, _Parkinson_ , is that I'm Captain because he would rather see me sooner exiled or even killed before I become of age to join _our_ fathers as Commanders. I'm sorry I don't have the ability to **fuck** my way to the top as you do!" the moment the words left his mouth he instantly regretted them.

Pansy looked to be on the verge of tears as she stood up to stomp out the fire before making eye contact once more.

"Fuck you, Draco."

He knew he should have apologized, asked if she was okay, say he didn't mean it, say anything except what he _did_ say. However, unable to control his anger he opened his mouth and said the words that would nail his coffin shut, "Last time I checked, that was the reason we didn't work out! You were an easy lay that everyone besides those two _ponces_ over there," Draco jerked his chin in Theo and Blaise's direction; both still too preoccupied with their own argument to witness the shitstorm that was brewing, "had taken to bed! What did you expect? That Tom wouldn't take notice? You put out for anyone with a ha-" a stinging pain came from his cheek. Shaking away the shock at the hit he watched as a single tear trailed down Pansy's right cheek.

She didn't say a word, her whole body shook with rage, the fire within her building up. Draco watched her retreating form move towards the tree line that he and Theo had come from not long before. He could see the tense muscles in her back and arms as she tried unsuccessfully to control it. As her body disappeared behind the trees Draco released the breath he had been holding in, "Great job, you fucking arsehole."

"Why can't you just admit you nearly killed us, you gobby cunt!" Theo barked.

"Why can't you pick up a _damn_ dictionary and learn _actual_ words instead of half-arsed slang that _**miraculously**_ makes you look even more vacuous than normal! I didn't even think your _normal_ level of ignorant rhetoric and dull-witted comebacks could be beat, but here you are! Always beating your previous record!" Blaise goaded.

The sounds of Blaise and Theo's unending dispute was beginning to give Draco a headache. Kicking away the still sizzling ashes from the fire Pansy had stomped out. He ran a hand through his platinum hair before snarling into his arm, _**Enough of this**_ _._

Stomping over to the two quarreling boys he got the last part of their conversation before stepping in.

"How about next time _**you**_ fly that hunk of junk through 478 jumps to a planet that is 12.6 billion kilometers away all while dealing with a useless crew mate who insists on doing nothing but complain about how long the trip is and sing old songs that _no one_ knows!"

Theo's cheeks flamed, his hand clenching into a fist as he struggled with the decision of punching Blaise in the face or stomach.

"First of all, Fuck you. Second of all, it isn't my fault you lot are uncultured swine! Third, that trip _**was**_ bloody long! All of you have about as much personality as a rock, so I have to make up for that loss. And you know what? I will fly it next time so as not to kill us all before we get home!"

"Make up for it? You bloody well suffocate us with it!" Blaise snorted. "Again, what was so wrong with my flying? I got us here didn't I? Did anyone die? No. They didn't!"

He had made up his mind, winding his wrist up he slugged Blaise in the stomach. As Blaise clutched his stomach, doubled over in pain, Theo crouched down to speak to him, "What was wrong? Besides practically _ejecting_ Malfoy and I from our seats? You landed us more than 40 miles away from our target, you can't park for shit, and you most certainly can't reverse!" gripping Blaise by the back of his hooded cowl he yanked him back up, "You shouldn't even be allowed to _reverse a decision_ , let alone a giant hunk of space metal that is probably as old as we are," Theo hissed.

The movements between the two seemed almost rehearsed, if Blaise landed a blow Theo had one to follow up, when Theo managed to pin Blaise to the ground Blaise flipped him almost effortlessly. There was _no end_ to this. The yelling and punches continued on as Draco waited for an opening between the two. A sickening crunch followed by a slew of curses came from Theo, a continuous stream of silver liquid spilled from his nose.

"NOT MY FACE, YOU FUCKER!" Theo cried out, his previously unblemished, _glamoured,_ skin now glowed in dark harsh lines and swirls across his face and arms.

"Theo! Mate I am so sor-" a painful cough cut Blaise's apology short. A fierce wind ripped through Theo's hands as it propelled Blaise's body back a few feet before slamming into the side of their ship.

Before he could think about it, Draco took off in a sprint towards the now bloodied and crumpled body that leaned against the cold metal door. Gnarled roots were uprooted from the ground in a desperate attempt to cushion the blow. Theo watched as Draco dropped to his knees checking Blaise's wrist and neck for a steady pulse. The rapid thrum of Blaise's heartbeat caused a sigh of relief to leave Draco's lips.

Slumping against the wall, hand still firmly grasping Blaise's pulse point, Draco narrowed his eyes at Theo.

Theo's hands shook, regret apparent on his face, "Draco, I-I didn't mean for that to happen. I couldn't contr-" Draco raised his hands, effectively silencing him.

"Enough," his voice boomed. Theo stopped, looking down in resignation as he waited for him to speak again.

"The diadems are in the compartment below deck, go get one and find some place out here to plant it," Draco spoke. "Plant it somewhere farther away from camp, do you understand me?"

"But of course, Tom. I understand _completely_ ," the markings around Theo's eyes flickered briefly before returning back to their stark black colour. Trudging past the two that leaned against the wall, tilting his wrist to the side he let it glide over the door's scanner. A low _beep_ noise followed by a click signalled the unlocking of the door. Ducking beneath the low ceiling beams, he made quick work of retrieving the diadem chest. After slipping out the door once more he cradled the diadems in his arms as he made his way towards the opposite end of the woods.

"I think one will do," Theo came to a halt, flinching from the venom in Draco's voice. Turning around, he opened the chest and grabbed a single crystal, setting the rest on the ground by Draco's feet.

"Yes sir, General, sir" Theo sneered, saluting him mockingly.

Spinning around on his heels, Theo made sure to get as far away from Draco as possible. The woods in which they had set up camp in wasn't _awful_. No, Theo rather quite liked it. The sun was still shining despite how late it was in the day, birds were still singing, the slight rustle of small woodland creatures could be heard all around him.

He continued to walk for what seemed like hours before he stumbled upon a fast flowing stream. Making his way over to the water he looked down into its crystal clear depths; his image was reflected back at him.

"Bloody hell, even out here I can't escape him," dropping his hand into the frigid water he scrubbed at the markings on his face. Grimacing at the now angry red streaks across his face he kicked at his reflection in the water.

"Time to fix your ugly mug, you chav" Theo grunted as he placed his pointer and middle finger to the side of his neck. Inhaling slowly through his nose he grounded himself; he focused on what he wanted to look like. Smooth skin, free of his _ugly_ markings, unblemished skin free of the scars from being hit one too many times, his eyes to be filled with warmth rather than their normal dark, vacant look.

A subtle buzzing ran beneath his fingers, looking back down into the water he allowed himself to smile. _He was back._ The one who was walking the streets of London with Draco only a few hours before. Tracing his finger down the bridge of his nose and across his cheekbones he gave a sigh of relief. Dropping his hands to his pants pocket he slid the diadem from it.

Looking around he caught sight of a fairy ring comprised of red cap mushrooms a few feet from the stream. Stepping into the middle of the ring he got down onto his hands and knees and began to dig. The dirt was still warm from the afternoon sun. Sifting through the loose Earth Theo caught sight of something shiny. Leaning down till his face was eye level with the ground he eyed the object; gripping the edge of the object with the tops of his fingers he withdrew it from the soil.

Turning the green shard of glass over in his hand, he watched as the prism of light shifted the colours from within. A small smile curved at his lips - _beautiful_ he thought.

Though just as quickly the spell was broken.

"Pree essss truh sthey! Eeees grey ah teep they! Laast te nuus crow!" He hissed, the curses flowing fluidly from his tongue. _**Shit! What the fucking fuck! Fuckin' cockwomble!**_ Throwing the sharp piece of glass he looked down at his palm. A long thin line was sliced through the middle, the same familiar liquid silver dripping off it.

Theo turned back towards the dirt he had already loosened and began to dig again, this time with only his uninjured hand. Unbeknownst to him, the small blue crystallized crown began to glow. An almost silent beeping coming from its core.

"This better be worth it, fucker," Theo muttered under his breath, shaking away the image of Tom's smug grin that would no doubt grace his face at the sight of the young lieutenants injury.

He continued to dig, still muttering under his breath; Not even realizing what he had just set into motion..

 _394 Godric's Hollow Terr._

 _Hogsmeade Village_

 _South Richmond, London_

 _2.3 Miles from Little Whinging Forest, England_

The ride back to Richmond was rather uneventful, the tube was packed to the brim with men and women just getting off work; the blue and yellow standing poles each had two people wrapped tightly around it leaving barely any standing room. When Hermione and Luna had boarded there was only a single seat left. Looking between the seat and Luna, Hermione exhaled in silent frustration.

Pulling her bag closer to her body she gently pushed Luna into the seat near the door, "Luna, I want you to sit here and put your shoes on. The streets are dirty enough as it is but the floors of public transport are," Hermione paused, letting a full body shudder take over, " _infinitely_ worse."

The look of surprise on Luna's face was brief, swinging her legs back and forth on the chair she silently nodded, smiling as she slid her shoes back on. Hermione gave a curt nod back before squeezing in between a woman dressed head to toe in pink, her hair a mixture of dark and light brown swirls that sat cropped closely to her head. The pink lady gave Hermione a tight lipped grin as she clutched her pink handbag in her left hand.

The metro car came to a hard halt, throwing her against the glass. A moment later, the doors opened and the woman and an older gentleman left the car. Once the discombobulation of the hit died down, Hermione turned towards the seat Luna occupied. Standing beside her she gripped the small, silver, square shaped bar that hung above. As the metro car lurched forward to the next stop she used the bar to steady herself, after that the rest of the ride was relatively quiet. Everyone tired from the day they had to endure.

"Why did you give me the seat, Hermione? I wouldn't have minded sitting on the floor," Luna murmured.

Looking up from her now 'ruined' book Hermione gave one of her rare soft smiles, "That's exactly why. I don't want you to sit on the floor, you know why," Luna just looked at her, waiting for her to say something more on the matter.

"Plus, look at your feet Loon, they've got cuts on them from early. Not to mention you were on your feet _all_ day. Even when we were in the library," Hermione lectured playfully.

"I suppose," Luna shrugged, looking down at her still swinging feet, laughing at the look of them. "Okay, you're right."

The next stop was theirs, the ding from the car alerting that the doors were opening caused Luna to jump from her seat, grabbing Hermione's hand as she pulled her through the doors as soon as they opened. Once out of the tube onto the station's platform they began their walk home.

Their flat in Hogsmeade village was a quaint little thing, the kitchen immediately transferred into the living room and they had to share a bathroom, but Luna and Hermione respected each other and their boundaries. The flat itself was less than a mile from the station which came in handy when it came time to commute back and forth from University. The town of Richmond in which their little home resided had everything they needed: a general store, a market, _Little Whinging_ a nature reserve within walking distance, a library, and of course Richmond's "King's Cross" metro.

Hermione thought of these places, and how lucky she was to have found somewhere to live with this much accessibility, and to not have to worry about selling her soul to pay for it all, on the way back from the station. By the time she had ran through the list of places near their home Luna was already fishing out her house keys to unlock the door.

 _Click_. The door swung open, hanging her purse up on the rack by the door Hermione made her way to the kitchen.

"I'm thinking of phoning dad tonight, see if maybe he would like to come 'round for the fun fair. I think he would like that the more I think about it. He met mum at the maypole, that was the first time he had ever seen her. She was dancing around it with her family when he saw her. He said that as soon as they locked eyes, "he knew she was the one" she sighed wistfully.

Holding a water bottle in one hand and her book in the other Hermione could only muster a sad smile, "She sounds beautiful Luna," she spoke in a low whisper. The topic of Luna's mother was always touchy, Hermione didn't want to make the memory anymore painful by asking meaningless questions.

"I think I am going to go down to the garden, would you like anything?"

Shaking her head Hermione spoke, "I'm fine, thank you. I'm thinking I'm just going to have another quiet night of reading. If you need me, call me, okay?" Luna nodded before slipping out the door again.

Walking back towards her room, Hermione threw her book and water bottle on the bed. Staring down at the crumpled pages she felt her anger return, the image of those grey eyes of the boy burned behind her eyelids as she tried to shake away his face. The frustration at being unable to rid him of her system was almost _unbearable_ , and because of that, because of this _boy_ , she did something she hadn't done for years.

For the first time in forever she made her way over towards her closet, opening the door she ruffled through a few drawers before she came upon the familiar chest she had long forgotten. Slipping the clawed hook towards the right she slid the old leather sketchbook from its dust coated tomb. The old charcoal pencils she used still lay in its spot. Picking the old sketchbook and pencils up she brought them over to her bed, joining the crumpled book and water.

Stretching across her bed, folding a pillow beneath her she began to draw, the lines and curves transferring almost effortlessly from her hand to the pencil. She spent the next hour sketching out his face, paying special attention to his eyes and mouth. Curling the pencil inward she unconsciously smiled, the smirk was _perfect_.

Another hour passed, this time sketching his neck and chest, rubbing the pad of her thumb over the page she began to smudge the pencil markings, causing the form of his shirt to take shape. She thought about stopping, maybe she could read, or cook, or go find Luna. But she was content to stay in her room, sketching away for hours, recreating the meeting with the stranger on the street. No, not stranger, _Draco._

Groaning, Hermione closed the sketchbook, placing it beside her as she flipped onto her back, staring at her ceiling.

"Hermione Granger, you. are. an. _idiot,"_

 _Little Whinging Forest, England_

 _2.3 miles from Hogsmeade Village_

The hole took significantly longer to dig with only one good hand, especially with how solid the ground began to become the deeper he dug. Going over the instructions in his head Theo wondered how long he had been out there.

"Earth isn't even my bloody element," Theo scoffed. The hole was dug, he had the diadem, now the only thing left was his essence.

Standing up, he arched his back, feeling his muscles strain to realign. Rubbing his hands together he focused his energy into the hollowed out hole. A stream of white light emanated from his hands, a white dusting now filled the empty space. Scooping the diadem up, Theo carefully lowered it into the ground, leaving only the top visible. After making sure it was anchored properly and wouldn't be going anywhere he start to fill in the dirt.

Wiping the dirt from his hands onto his pants he stepped out of the fairy ring. Looking down at his wound he couldn't help but feel a sickening twist in his gut, the silver liquid was now a rusty brown, blood was slow to glamour, he was learning that the hard way. Leaning down towards the water's edge he slowly began to scrub at the wound, the pain causing him to flinch every now and then. Once most of the blood had been washed away, he stood up. Still looking down at his hand he heard a ripping sound. Calmly raising his eyes from his hand he looked towards the middle of the stream. Standing on one of the stepping stones across from him was a girl in a _ripped_ gauze dress.

The girl looked at him curiously, a strip of her dress clutched in her hands.

"Do you need some help?" the girl's voice was soft, melodic even, Theo thought begrudgingly. He said nothing.

Hopping across the remainder of the stones she stood in front of him, he was almost a foot taller than her. Without asking she reached for his hand, taken aback Theo swiftly pulled it out of her reach.

Frowning, the girl grabbed for his hand again. Her grip was iron clad and refused to let go. Wrapping the fabric around his hand with the utmost care she secured it in a knot, searching his face for any response.

"I am Luna, by the way. What's your name?" her eyes were big, filled with a type of carefree spirit he longed to have.

Inhaling a deep breath he was thinking of what he could say. And then she smiled at him.

 _Shit_.

 **Hi guys! Thank you so much for reading! I am so sorry that this was a longer update wait time than usual! :( Nevertheless, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I can't wait for you to see what is to come ;) I would like to say a huge thank you to my betas Ruin-Me-Dramione, MrBenzedrine, and Sinful824! Without you ladies I would be lost and still staring at my computer trying to fix it by myself.**

 **Thank you to the guest reviewer who mentioned the Lorian Legacies! That is such an amazing compliment to be paid! I freaking love you as well and hope you stick around!**

 **As for update schedule... I am currently in Dramione Duets Exchange and The Strictly Dramione's Movie Fest. So what does this mean? It means that I will be throwing myself into those two works for the time being. The duets piece will be completed in about a week, I believe, and the movie fest one (which is Lord of The Rings!) is due August 26th so I will be writing it all throughout this month. Once those are done we will be back on with bi weekly updates. Thanks again for your guy's support!**

 **If you don't mind, leave me a review and tell me what you thought? Maybe what you think will happen next? ;) Till next time, love you all!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three - Watch Your Mouth

 _ **Morsmordre, Borgin Galaxy**_

 _ **12.6 Billion Kilometers from Earth**_

"Lucius?" Cassius Parkinson asked gruffly. His partnered commander was in no mood for the shift they would have later that night.

Lazily drawing his eyes up, Lucius replied in a bored tone, "What do you want, Parkinson?" Sitting atop the manor's roof, he looked out over the fields of blood orchids and moonflowers that surrounded the estate. A lone Wiggentree with an Alihotsy sapling stood out among the sea of flowers it lay in the middle of; it had always been one of Draco's favourite spots.

Retrieving his hand from his pocket, Cassius brushed the ledges surface off, silently scrutinizing the seat. "Have you heard anything from them?"

A war was raging inside of Lucius' head. He hadn't heard from Draco in _four_ days, something uncommon to come from the son he had been inseparable from since he was five. The lack of contact was maddening, it was affecting his work; Something Tom had noticed immediately.

"Malfoy!" A conjured gust of wind nearly knocked Lucius off his perch as Cassius yelled for him once more.

Dropping his arm at his side, Lucius unfurled his fist allowing his palm to conjure a stream of water. He glared at the man as he began to feel the familiar cold rush through his veins. Chancing a glance down, he admired his handiwork. A sleek 13 inch ice spear lay in his hand, the rays of one of their suns, _Flourish,_ glinted across the surface.

"MAL _—_ " Cassius stopped, locking eyes with Lucius he watched as the smirk the man's son was known for spread across his face. Casting his eyes downward, Cassius watched as his fellow commander slowly poked at his exposed throat with the pointed spear.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I couldn't understand you," turning his body fully towards the shaking man he watched as commander Parkinson's adam's apple bobbed painfully with each careful swallow. Lucius's hands were steady as they handled the conjured weapon, its glistening point sparkled in the setting sun's rays as it dug into the man's flesh.

"Sweet Salazar, Lucius! It was just a question! Pansy hasn't been in contact, not that _that_ is anything new, but you understand why I am asking, yes?"

He wouldn't admit it, oh _no,_ he would never admit that to _Parkinson_ of all people, but he did understand. Draco's familiar masked eyes flashed in his mind; his chest burned from the memory.

Nodding slowly, Lucius withdrew the ice shank from Cassius' neck. Dropping the spear over the edge of the roof, he looked out into the field once more.

"Get out," he growled in warning.

"Lucius, I didn't thin _—"_

"That's the problem!" Lucius barked. "You **never** think. And I am _done_ with this conversation. Get out," Lucius shook. Standing to his full height he leaned over the edge, looking down at the meadow below. A soft breeze came, natural this time, blowing against the blooming orchids. Looking over his shoulder Lucius warned, "Before I _make_ you."

The sounds of shuffling feet alerted Lucius to Cassius's departure. The noise of the rooftop door slamming was the last to fill the air.

Sighing, he contemplated taking an early leave; the nights were no longer the same without Draco at his side. The days seemed to drag on and the nights somehow seemed lonelier. Peering out over the field he watched as a faint flash of light illuminated the sky, outlining the Wiggentree in the distance.

Though his head told him it was probably best to go in, his feet had a mind of their own.

Leaping from atop his place on the roof, Lucius landed swiftly among the flowers and tall grass. How long he spent wandering through the field he didn't know. By the end of it, he found himself back at the Wiggentree; his hands running over the familiar initials etched into the tree's bark.

L.A.M. _D.L.M._

Those initials meant _everything_ to him.

Replacing his hand with his forehead Lucius leaned against the trunk, shutting his eyes, he allowed himself to succumb to the memory.

 _"What do you think you are doing?"_

 _Draco lay in the grass by Lucius's feet, giggling as he rolled over the barely-budding snow poppies. Rocking forward, he reached for his small feet in an attempt to pull them towards his chest._

 _Lucius's mouth twitched as he tried to suppress a smile."You are more trouble than you are worth, child."_

 _Another giggle from Draco broke Lucius's hardened gaze, instead replacing it with a look of reluctant adoration. "Come my boy, it's time to go in," crouching down Lucius scooped Draco up into his arms._

 _Cradling_ _him tightly to his chest, Lucius looked out over the fields of flowers that led up to Malfoy Manor. The sight of the ancient home that was once the cause of his sorrow had suddenly been transformed. For the house was no longer the embodiment of loneliness that had consumed him over the past year, instead it was now a beacon of light; A place that held the promise of something_ _ **more**_ _. He didn't know why they chose him to be the boy's guardian, but Salazar was he thankful._

 _ **So thankful.**_

" _Lucius?" A voice called softly._

 _Stopping in his tracks Lucius tensed at the voice, he would know that voice anywhere._

 _Turning around, Draco still in his arms, he met her eyes. "Narcissa."_

 _There among the flowers and dying light stood the woman who had once held hostage all the love and affection he had to offer. In another life, they had been friends, family,_ _ **lovers**_ _. The love that they had shared was one that even the Elders had yet to see rivaled; but as most things did in Lucius's life, that love had crumbled. And with it his heart, and all the love he had to give._

 _That of course, was before Draco._

 _Stepping towards him, Narcissa looked down at the drowsy boy, trying desperately to keep his eyes open. Smiling at him, Narcissa reached out, softly stroking the white locks that adorned his head. "He's just_ _ **beautiful**_ _Lucius," she spoke gleefully._

 _The look of annoyance ingrained into Lucius's face made Narcissa sick. She had a feeling she knew_ _ **exactly**_ _what he was going to say._

" _That he is," Lucius spoke, his voice emotionless. "I had wondered myself why_ _ **you**_ _of all people would tell the General to assign this one to me," taking another step closer he leaned into her ear, "now why would you tell him I needed a shadow? Hm?"_

 _The feel of his breath near her ear caused Narcissa's body to stiffen. They hadn't been this close in over a year._

" _You seemed lonely," her voice was unwavering. "When Scabior had brought him to Tom I knew that he would be chosen." Ruffling Draco's hair once more, she retracted her hand cautiously. "When I saw him for the first time… something within me told me he was different." Her breath hitched. "A-and I couldn't in good conscience let Rowle, Karkaroff, or_ _ **bloody**_ _Rosier take that child. They would ruin him." Turning her head slightly she felt her lips graze his cheek. "I_ _ **know**_ _you wouldn't ruin him."_

" _And what makes you so sure of that?" Lucius asked, skepticism evident in his voice._

 _Sighing, Narcissa pulled a sapling from her pocket. Turning away from the two of them she placed it on the ground, whispering words of encouragement to the small plant as she rose. "Would you care to do the honours?"_

 _Raising his eyebrow, he silently questioned her._

 _Sighing in annoyance Narcissa pulled Draco out of his arms as she cuddled the slowly waking boy to her body. "Water, Lucius. Plants need it to_ _ **survive**_ _you know."_

 _Rolling his eyes at her condescending tone, he tried to hide the smile on his face."Yes Cissa, I know how water, the_ _ **life source**_ _of plants, keeps them alive," grumbling under his breath Lucius rolled his sleeves up. Aiming his hand, palm up towards the plant, he released a steady stream of water upon it, watching as the soil absorbed it._

 _Ignoring his annoyed response, she turned away from him._

" _Aren't you just_ _ **precious**_ _," Narcissa cooed to the now fully awake Draco._

 _Giggling at the woman poking gently at his cheeks, Draco turned to Lucius, reaching his tiny hands out to him. "Da-ddy!"_

 _Lucius could feel his heart melting all over again as he heard those words. Gently prying the fussing child from Narcissa's arms he could see a look of sadness flash in her eyes._

 _Clearing his throat of the sudden uncomfortable lump that had formed in it, he looked up at her, this time meeting her lilac eyes. "I am sure whenever it is you and Tom decide to have one of your own…" Lucius cut himself off. The idea of it proving to be more painful that he had anticipated._

" _Yes?" Narcissa inquired, wincing as she spoke with more enthusiasm than she had meant._

 _Running his hands down Draco's back in a soothing manner Lucius tried to calm himself. The idea of Tom and Narcissa procreating caused his skin to crawl and his throat to burn with bile. It should have been_ _ **him**_ _. Not Tom._

" _Nothing," he paused, "just that I know_ _ **whenever**_ _you two decide to have children, I am positive you will be fantastic mother."_

 _The confession stunned her, widening her eyes in surprise she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Draco's whining._

" _Da!" he cried. Draco pointed towards the sapling by Narcissa's feet._

 _Obliging Draco's request, Lucius set him down by the plant, watching on as the boy softly stroked it's leaves._

" _I suppose he will grow up to like plants, hm?" Narcissa asked, bumping her hip against him playfully. "Perhaps that will be his affinity?"_

 _Shaking his head Lucius kept his eyes on the boy, his_ _ **son**_ _. "No, I think what you said is true," he spoke, his voice lowering with each word. "I think he_ _ **is**_ _special, whatever he is gifted with, it will be perfect for him."_

 _Smiling at his curiosity, Narcissa moved him back towards Lucius. Withdrawing a small vial from her pocket she uncorked it, swirling the luminescent blue liquid within it._

" _Lucius, hold him, would you?" Narcissa asked as she bent down towards the dirt, slowly etching designs into the soil with the tip of her finger._

 _As the toddler was pulled back, heels dragging across the dirt in defiance, Narcissa couldn't help but laugh._

 _ **Just like his father.**_

 _The soil seemed to be in well enough condition for the sort of magic Narcissa had planned. It wasn't common to find trees upon Morsmorde's surface, not since they began slowly dying out the decade previous. She knew that the liquid she held was one of great value, one that many would_ _ **kill**_ _to have. The power to create_ _ **life.**_

 _Narcissa knew that should Tom find out what she had done, there would be grave consequences. He wouldn't look at it as making a child happy or giving back to their planet. No. The only thing he would see was power_ _ **taken**_ _._

 _It didn't matter, she thought. He would never find out it was her. She would make sure of that._

 _Before she could talk herself out of it, Narcissa tilted the bottle's mouth downward and watched as its glowing contents were absorbed hungrily by the ground._

 _Draco sat at his father's feet, watching the dirt intently. "Da-ddy? He babbled quietly._

 _And then a sprig appeared._

 _Popping out from the once barren ground now stood a tiny sapling. It's body slowly stretching, creating branches at its side. It was a sight to behold. As most plant life was slowly beginning to die out here was a brand new life just starting, much like his own boy._

" _Isn't it beautiful?"_

" _The plant?" Lucius questioned, tearing his eyes away from Draco to turn back towards her._

" _Well, yes I suppose, but not just the plant." Narcissa replied with a small smile._

 _"What else?"_

 _Looking off into the distance, Narcissa inhaled sharply. She watched as the wind gently rustled Draco's hair._

" _Hope."_

"Lucius?"

Snapping his eyes open, Lucius cursed under his breath.

 _He would know that voice anywhere._

The feeling of someone touching his back caused Lucius to stiffen; digging his nails into the bark of the tree, Lucius turned towards the voice. "Narcissa," he spoke through clenched teeth. "Lovely to see you this evening… what brings you here?"

"No need to lie Lucius," she spoke quietly, flashing him a tight lipped smile as she dropped her hand. "I just wanted to check in. See how you were since Draco's absence."

Taking the time to truly look at her, he felt all the air in his lungs escape. She was wearing a green off the shoulder mermaid gown, the dress she wore for _him_. Her long, wavy longs framed her face causing a striking contrast between the paleness of her hair and the lilac hues of her iris.

Shaking away his momentary lapse of judgement, Lucius leaned back against the tree, propping his leg up. "It's been wonderful," he cooed, sarcasm dripping off every word. "I have the manor _all_ to myself. All fifteen bedrooms. Four dining rooms, seven lavatories, three libraries, and two cellars. I mean really, that boy took up _**so**_ much room."

Rolling her eyes, Narcissa leaned against the tree with him, her hand softly brushing against him. "You miss him, that is to be expected. You two were _inseparable_. I am surprised you didn't take an extra nimbus and follow him."

"Not like I didn't consider it…" Lucius grumbled more to himself than her.

Clasping her hand against her mouth, Narcissa giggled into it, angling her body slightly closer to his. "May I ask you a question Luc?"

"I believe you just did."

Blinking her eyes, Narcissa inhaled deeply through her nose, trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject..

"Do you think you will ever want kids?" she asked

Scoffing, Lucius kicked at the tree in front of him."I thought I already had one."

"You know what I mean," stepping around the tree, she hid herself partially, only her right eye visible. "kids of your own."

Moving to the other side, Lucius followed suit. "Why do you ask?"

Humming to herself, she looked up into the branches of the Wiggentree, her gift to Draco. "I just…" sighing quietly, she plucked a flower from a branch. "I think you would have been a phenomenal father,"

All traces of playfulness left his face as the meaning of her words dawned on him.

" _Would have been_?"

Appearing in front of her, Narcissa could see the blaze of anger that ignited his eyes. Taking a step back, she felt herself hit the tree. "Lucius, that isn't what I mea _—"_

Lucius stepped towards her, caging her in as he placed his arms on either side of her, leaning in close to her face. "You think I _would have been_ a phenomenal father? What do you think I have been doing these last nineteen years? _Practicing?"_ He growled, his voice low in warning.

"Will you just listen to me!"

Laughing maliciously, he bent down towards her ear. "I don't need to listen to _anything_ you have to say. You _**lost**_ that privilege long ago," he spat.

 _The audacity!_ Shoving back against his chest, she watched him stumble. Erecting her posture, Narcissa glared at the man. "And what exactly is _**that**_ supposed to mean?"

With a glare to rival hers, Lucius grunted, swiping at the area she had touched. "I have dealt with Tom's comments about my 'shortcomings', I have dealt with Rowle and Karkaroff saying I was too soft on the boy; I have dealt with _you_ coming by throughout the years, pretending to mother him, messing up the carefully constructed walls I have built, only to give me the same look you are giving me now. One full of _**pity**_. I **refuse** to let **all of you** make me feel as if I was," he paused, choking back the tears that had surfaced. "As if I _am_ , a failure as a father. Especially when _**none**_ of you are parents yourselves," he seethed.

Her pain didn't escape him. He saw it as she turned away from him, clutching at the sides of her dress looking anywhere but him. And that, _that,_ is what caused it.

"Look at me and admit it!" his voice boomed, the sound of thundering echoing in the distance accompanied by the flash of lightning that outlined his body.

As the hissing of his words left his mouth, Narcissa witnessed the once warm, grey eyes had now been transformed into a vivid purple. A familiar purple.

 _Her purple_.

 _It couldn't be possible_ she thought. "When did this… h-how?" Her voice stuttered, the feel of her heartbeat had traveled up her throat, threatening to choke her.

Twisting away from her, Lucius covered his face with his hand. "Oh don't play dumb Narcissa, you and I both know how long," he spoke in a low, hushed tone that was followed by another crack of thunder.

Lightning continued to streak across the sky with every movement of his body.

The storm above was being controlled by the storm _within_ him.

 _His affinity had changed._

The accusation tore at Narcissa. "I'm not playing at anything, Lucius! Will you just tell me when… _this_ happened?"

A downpour began as Lucius found himself standing in front of her. Water streaked his pale cheeks, dampening his white hair sticking to his forehead.

Her now lilac eyes shone bright with fear. Imploring him to speak.

Calloused hands cupped her face, tracing her lips lightly with his fingertips. The feel of the backs of his knuckles grazing her jawline caused her legs to buckle slightly.

"Do you truly wish to know, _Cissa_?"

The look on his face told her that she shouldn't.

 _Don't press him_ , her inner voice told her.

So she did what she always did.

 _She ignored it_.

"Yes Lucius," She breathed, warming his fingers. "I truly wish to know."

There was a sort of static that hung in the air, taking up the space between them as the other watched in silent agony.

Lucius allowed himself the fleeting thought of what it would be like to kiss those lips again. What it would be like to hold her, and truly _have_ her.

And then the thought was gone.

He took a moment, contemplating what his next move would be. The look of pain and uncertainty on her face hurt him all the same; but he knew he couldn't tell her.

 _Not really._

"You know _**nothing**_ , Narcissa."

 _Silence._

"You are still a _child_." He spat. "A child who could not even begin to _fathom_ what it has been like these torturous years…" the strained sound of his voice trailed off, "but you _**will**_ _._ "

"What are you talking about, Lucius?" Narcissa pleaded.

A grim look cast a shadow over the man's face. He knew what had to be done.

"I want you to do something for me," Lucius whispered close.

"Anything," Narcissa replied all too eagerly. The desperation to know coated each word she spoke. "What is it?"

Without warning, Lucius leaned in, placing a the lightest of kisses upon her temple; his hands now cupping the sides of her face forced her eyes up as he smiled warmly down at her.

"I want you to hurt for me."

And then he vanished.

 _ **Little Whinging Forest**_

 _ **2.3 Miles from Hogsmeade Village**_

 _ **2.1 Miles from base camp**_

"What's your name?" the girl, _no,_ _ **Luna**_ , asked again.

 _Fuck. Shite. Fucking Shite._

"Are you alright?" tilting her head to the side she watched with unnerving curiosity.

Looking down into Luna's eyes Theo felt a searing pain in his chest, a welding heat. Schooling his features he looked down towards his wrapped hand; there, still holding on, was her small one wrapped around the clothed wound.

Realizing he was the one _allowing_ her to do this he yanked his arm out of her grip.

She seemed unfazed.

Turning away from her, Theo stomped over towards the fairy ring once more, eyeing the diadem out of the corner of his eye.

"Your name?" She tried again.

Growling in annoyance Theo pivoted, narrowing his eyes at Luna.

"My name is of no concern to you."

"Well, are you at least alright?"

Pressing his lips together in annoyance, Theo thought carefully about his response. _Oh yes, I am bloody fantastic! My mates and I are just here on vacation, we heard the weather is wonderful this time of year; I mean, anything beats the constant rain and the uncertainty of death that the dictatorship we have back on my planet essentially promises. Oh, did I say planet? I meant… whatever the fuck those other places are called._

Theo's internal dialogue quieted as he found himself under Luna's scrutinizing gaze.

"What do you bloody well think? I have a sliced hand and I am standing here, in the middle of nowhere with an unnerving little nymph pestering me over something as trivial as my fuckin' name!" _Oh_ , _for_ _Salazar's sake! He was turning into fuckin' Blaise, that ponce._

"You have a fascination with profanity, don't you?" she asked, a lopsided smile stretched across her face.

 _Fucks sake._ "Truth be told she and I have a special relationship," Theo mocked.

The forest's noise dimmed to a low hum as the sun began to slowly set, the glow of its rays bathed Luna in its dying light. It was almost poetic really. _Almost_. Averting his eyes from her he looked down at his feet. The earth still soft within the ring from where he had just been digging not 10 minutes before.

"May I know your name now?" Luna asked as she stepped inside the ring with him, sitting down by his feet.

Theo contemplated what he should do next. On one hand, he could forcibly remove her from the ring and hurl her across the river; Though 1. That wouldn't be a gentleman thing to do, and 2. He had an inkling that throwing her that length could very well throw out his back. _What good would he be with a thrown out back?_ Instead, he opted to sit next to her for reasons even _he_ didn't understand.

"Why is my name so important to you?" Theo questioned, moving slightly back.

Luna didn't respond for a several moments, instead she picked at the blades of grass near her feet. Feet that Theo was only just now noticing were barefoot.

"I think that there is a lot of power in names, don't you think?"

"Exactly, so what makes you think I would want to tell _you_?"

"Why _**wouldn't**_ you want to?"

Knocking his head back, Theo squinted at the girl; genuinely perplexed by her reasoning. She was still smiling at him, a calming aura surrounded him as he watched her continue to play with the blades, twisting and braiding them into a woven string. "Didn't you already answer that?"

Pulling up some more strands to start on another string she tilted her head, releasing a whimsical laugh. "No," she shook her head, giggling. "I don't think I did."

Sighing in resignation, Theo begrudgingly took the braided grass from her hands, continuing from where she had left off.

They sat in a comfortable quiet, the only noise coming from a melody Luna had began to hum.

She seemed to be completely at ease there, just sitting with him. She wasn't pestering him about not answering, which Theo found to be rather odd. Though, he couldn't really say what was normal or not for her.

Then again, nothing about Luna seemed to scream normal.

Sucking on his teeth, he looked at their surroundings. Just as before, no one was in sight. Deciding that divulging a single piece of information wouldn't be _that_ detrimental to his character, Theo leaned closer, clearing his throat.

"Theo," he replied, extending the now completed braid out to her.

Startled by the sudden noise, Luna looked up, meeting his eyes. The look of excitement on her face caused that feeling to stir within him again; that unfamiliar warmth that burrowed itself deep beneath his chest.

If there was one thing he knew, it was this.

 _He didn't like it one bit_.

"It's lovely to meet you Theo," Luna beamed.

Nodding stiffly, Theo watched as she took the braided pieces and hooked it around her feet, taking the ends and wrapping it around her ankles. "What are you doing?"

"They are bottomless sandals. They attach at your toe and tie at your ankle," She spoke, her eyes trained down at her feet in concentration.

"How silly of me, _of course_ that's what it is," Theo groaned, rolling his eyes, questioning what in Morsmordre _bottomless sandals_ were and what exactly their function was.

After tying off the last end of the grass, Luna met his eyes again. "Do you live around here?"

 _There it was. The beginning of questions he didn't know how to answer_.

Shrugging his shoulders, Theo watched intently as the soft breeze rustled her hair, framing her face in soft golden ringlets. "My companions and I move around a bit. We don't really stay in one place for too long, this is just one of those places."

"Companions?" Luna asked. "You mean friends?"

" _Friends?"_ He rolled the word around with his tongue, testing out the feel of it. He had never really stopped to think about whether or not the people who he had been paired with since birth were truly his "friends". They were simply _there_ , only to be used for sparring and the rare opportunities that they got to travel. _Much like now_ , he thought bitterly.

"Yes," he shivered at the acceptance of that statement. "If you could call them that."

"You just did."

"Did what?"

Sighing, Luna took the lone blade of grass from his fingers, shaking her head playfully. "You know, Theodore-"

" _ **Theo**_."

"- you seem _incapable_ of admitting the truth."

"And what ' _truth'_ might that be?"

He was defensive now. The mere thought of the pint sized pixie accusing him of lying caused his blood to boil.

 _He was seeing red_.

" _ **Your**_ truth, Theo. The only truth that matters."

The breathy whisper of her voice caused shivers to run down his spine. The involuntary arch of his back stirred something in him.

She smelled of something sweet yet foreign to him. Her light skin soaking in the last rays of sunlight looked almost ethereal. Angelic even.

"I don't have a truth," he finally answered. "Just take me at my word and accept what I say as whatever 'truth' you are looking for."

"Everyone has a truth, perhaps you just don't know yours yet?"

 _Perhaps._

Feeling quite daring, Luna crawled over towards him, seating herself beside him as their knees touched. "What are you thinking about?"

 _Just thinking about how we are all going to fucking die on this shite of a mission._

"Honestly?" Theo questioned.

Luna nodded in response, a beam of a smile lurking below the surface of her lips.

Sighing, Theo shook his head in faux defeat. "Oh I suppose I could tell you… though are you sure you can handle it?"

"I am positive, Theodore."

"Very well." he mused, shrugging his shoulders in response. "I was just wondering if life smokes after she fucks me. Or maybe she prefers the sting of whisky?"

Grinning, Luna stuck a primrose behind his ear. "As lovely as sarcasm looks on you, and it is _quite_ lovely" she laughed. "Why not try being serious? Or are you always this crass?"

"Always, what can I say? No one can ever accuse me of being unpredictable."

"Perhaps not, but they _**could**_ accuse you of being boring."

"Do you think I am boring?"

Snickering, Luna threw another primrose at him. "Do you have any other talents besides sarcasm, snark, and being full of yourself, Theodore?"

Pursing his lips, Theo faked a look of pensiveness. "Aside from being sexy _and_ hilarious? I couldn't say. I am sure I have many other talents but I should leave some for the others. Wouldn't be fair."

"Oh my!" She laughed, fanning herself playfully with a leaf. "How noble of you, sir."

"Chivalry isn't dead, but this conversation might be." Theo blew at the stray flowers that lay in his lap, "Especially when it seems _your_ talent is at changing the subject."

"I have many a talent. Would you like to see?"

 _Oh but I would love to_ , he thought.

"Perhaps."

He immediately regretted his decision as soon as he saw the devilish gleam in her eyes at that response.

"Meet me here tomorrow. Does two work?" Standing up, Luna dusted the dirt and grass from her dress, looking back over the stream from whence she came.

He wasn't sure why, but the sight of her leaving caused another flash of pain deep beneath his chest. He didn't know what it was or why it was happening. The only thing he knew was this,

 _He had to see her again_.

Theo responded without hesitation, "Two," he nodded. "I'll be there."

Leering at his response she did a tiny twirl for him, "Does this mean I have you intrigued?"

Smirking at her words he couldn't help but bite his lip in a poor attempt to withhold his laughter. "Something like that."

"You are a strange one, Theodore."

"Is that a bad thing?" he implored.

"No." She responded without missing a beat. "It's perfect."

He smiled, she smiled, and then she was gone.

Theodore Nott never allowed himself to experience excitement. He had learned long ago that excitement only lead to disappointment. It had taken him a few years, but he at long last he had finally mastered the art of building walls of separation between the things he desired and the things he needed. Everything fit perfectly in a category of needs versus wants, everything but _her_.

He sat in contemplation for what felt like years before he remembered that he needed to return to camp. He wasn't a fool, he knew he should tell the others about Luna as soon as he made it back to base camp, after all it could help somehow with mission he was sure. He knew that, but he wanted to keep her as his own little secret, at least until tomorrow he told himself.

As his mind continued to wonder about what it is he would tell the others when he came back and whatever it is Luna had planned, his feet took him back in the direction he had come from. His body was on autopilot, for once he was finally at ease, for even though stress was waiting for him back with the others there in the forest he was free to finally be content.

Just as Theo had finally reached the peak of his euphoric escape, a mile away from the now familiar stream and fairy ring, it was then that he heard it.

A loud _crack_ came from his left. The sound of a twig breaking and leaves crunching beneath boots.

 _I don't have bloody time for this._

Whoever Theo's guest was, he didn't care. Summoning his daggers he wasted no time, whirling towards the noise he released three daggers. The first two proved worthless, their tips buried deep within the trunk of an ancient tree; the third dagger however, had hit its target.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn't a lethal hit.

 _ **Fuck**_.

The dagger lay buried within the arm of a hooded figure. A deep laugh resounded as they stepped forward. Out from the shadows the figure walked.

Theo knew who it was long before he made eye contact with him.

Piercing blue eyes taunted him, just begging for him to speak.

Theo refused.

"Hello brother," the man slowly removed his hood, watching Theo's face as he spoke.

Clenching his jaw, Theo spoke through bared teeth. "Cassius."

Cassius sneered as he gripped the hilt of the dagger, forcefully pulling it out of his chest.

The sound of the weapon hitting the ground with a muted thump caused Theo's blood to run cold.

"Did you miss me?"

 **Hi guys! So… it has been over a year. x_x My sincerest apologies. My freshman year of college really made it difficult for me to write and update everything like I had been doing, but the good news is that I am back! I will be participating in Strictly Dramione's Halloween Fest as well as continuing to update this story and my others. :) I know there wasn't any Dramione in this chapter but there is still a TON of their story to be told which will start next chapter. xx I am already half way done with it as it was supposed to be apart of this chapter but that was too daunting for me so I decided to split it up so you guys could at least have** _ **something**_ **. Thank you to everyone that is still here and supports this story and my writing. You all are a treasure and I am so thankful for you. As always yours reads and reviews are loved and appreciated. Till next time! (I promise it won't be long) - Lailah xx**


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